A controversial new study by a small team of scientists has sparked alarm by suggesting that a mysterious intergalactic object hurtling through space could actually be a “hostile” alien spacecraft poised to strike Earth this November.
“If proven true, the implications for humanity could be catastrophic,” the researchers warned in their provocative paper, published on July 16 on the preprint server arXiv, according to South West News Service.
The object, designated 3I/ATLAS, was first spotted on July 1 traveling at a staggering speed of over 130,000 mph toward the sun, Live Science reports. Initial observations identified it as a comet roughly the size of Manhattan—up to fifteen miles wide.
But this trio of scientists challenges that view, proposing in their report that 3I/ATLAS might actually be a disguised piece of alien spy technology.
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, famous for linking strange extraterrestrial objects to alien life, is one of the scientists behind this bold new claim. Loeb previously made headlines by suggesting that the 2017 interstellar visitor ʻOumuamua might have been an artificial reconnaissance probe sent by an alien civilization—citing its unusual shape and unexpected acceleration.
Partnering with Adam Hibberd and Adam Crowl from London’s Initiative for Interstellar Studies, Loeb now hypothesizes that the trajectory of the newly discovered 3I/ATLAS also points to an extraterrestrial origin.
In a recent blog post, Loeb explained that 3I/ATLAS’s astonishing speed—much faster than ʻOumuamua and other known interstellar objects—and its unique angle of entry into our solar system could offer “various advantages to an extraterrestrial intelligence.”
One key advantage? The object’s path brings it close to Jupiter, Mars, and Venus, potentially allowing alien entities to stealthily deploy spy “gadgets” on these planets.
When 3I/ATLAS reaches its closest point to the Sun in late November, it will be hidden from Earth’s telescopes—a move Loeb suspects might be deliberate, designed to avoid detection during the object’s brightest phase or when alien devices might be dispatched from this covert vantage point.
This aligns with the dark forest hypothesis, which suggests that advanced civilizations remain hidden to avoid detection from hostile forces—a theory that gains traction if 3I/ATLAS proves to be a technological artifact.
Loeb warns this scenario could signal a looming threat, potentially demanding defensive action.
Unfortunately, 3I/ATLAS is traveling too fast for any Earth-launched spacecraft to intercept it before it leaves the solar system. “Our best rockets only reach about a third of its speed,” Loeb explained, making a mission to the object impossible with current technology.
However, many experts remain skeptical. Astronomer Samantha Lawler of the University of Regina, Canada, told Live Science, “All evidence points to this being a normal comet ejected from another solar system—just like the billions of comets we know from our own.”
Even Loeb acknowledges the odds: “By far, the most likely outcome is that 3I/ATLAS is a completely natural interstellar object, probably a comet.”
The researchers also urge caution, reminding the public that their paper has yet to pass peer review.
“This paper presents a remarkable but testable hypothesis, which the authors do not necessarily endorse, but believe is worth analyzing,” they wrote. “Regardless of its validity, the hypothesis is an interesting and fun exercise to explore.”
Critics, however, have dismissed the study as little more than a parody of serious scientific research, pointing to abundant evidence that 3I/ATLAS poses no threat or unusual behavior suggesting a close encounter.
“Astronomers worldwide have been thrilled by the arrival of 3I/ATLAS,” said Chris Lintott, an Oxford astronomer who helped model the object’s galactic origins. Speaking to Live Science, he added, “Researchers are collaborating using the most advanced telescopes to uncover the true nature of this visitor. Any claim that it’s artificial is nonsense on stilts—and frankly, it undermines the exciting and rigorous work happening to understand this object.”